NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After strong showings at last weekend’s Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championships, head coach Bill Taylor will lead a smaller contingent into this weekend’s Oxy Invite in Los Angeles, Calif.

The women’s team will send six competitors into the women’s 5000m run at Saturday’s meet: freshmen Maggie Lawrence, Kendra Lobley and Renee’ Menzie and sophomores Tessa Hoefle, Alex Newby and Dani Walker. The men’s team will send junior Ashton Fisher to run the 3000m steeplechase and freshman Colin Dempster to run the 400m open event. Sophomore Tucker Peabody will compete in the 100m and 200m dashes.

The West Coast meet will bring out some new competition for the Bisons and Lady Bisons. In addition to host Occidental, Lipscomb will compete against athletes from Hawaii, Alaska-Anchorage, Long Beach State, USC, Pepperdine and Cal State-Fullerton among others.

Lobley was named the women’s A-Sun Freshman of the Year last week – she won two gold medals two weeks ago at the A-Sun Outdoor Championships, in the 5000m and the steeplechase, and has broken three school records this season.

Peabody was a busy man at the A-Sun Championships, winning two gold medals (200m dash, 4x400m relays) and two bronzes (100m dash, 4x100m relay) on the final day of competition in Jacksonville.

At last year’s Oxy Invite, Hoefle shattered the previous 5000m run record by nearly 30 seconds to finish ninth at 17:15.96s. Walker ran the 1500m and lowered her then-personal best to 4:36.62s.

Many of these same athletes along with a few other returners will compete at next weekend’s Georgia Tech Invitational. It will be the final chance this year for athletes to earn marks to qualify for the NCAA East Regional.

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